Book Review: A Month of Sundays by Liz Byrski

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Title: A Month of Sundays
Author: Liz Byrski
Publication Date: June 26th 2018

Synopsis: " For over ten years, Ros, Adele, Judy and Simone have been in an online book club, but they have never met face to face. Until now...

Determined to enjoy her imminent retirement, Adele invites her fellow bibliophiles to help her house-sit in the Blue Mountains. It's a tantalising opportunity to spend a month walking in the fresh air, napping by the fire and, of course, reading and talking about books.

But these aren't just any books: each member has been asked to choose a book which will teach the others more about her. And with each woman facing a crossroads in her life, it turns out there's a lot for them to learn, not just about their fellow book-clubbers, but also about themselves.

My thoughts: It probably comes as no surprise that I am a fan of book clubs and tales of people reading and talking about books. They fill me with joy, and I certainly got a lot of joy out of this read. However, I also found myself tearing up at moments, completely anxious at others, and generally extremely invested in the stories of each of the characters.

This story somehow both gently tugs you in and also doesn't hold back any punches - I felt like I had been kicked in the gut a few times whilst reading, but also like this was the coziest read I could have found for a rainy and cold afternoon or two. Occasionally I did find that things felt a little too convenient, but the character focus made it easy to overlook that.

Ros, Adele, Judy, and Simone are all extremely different characters, but they also hold a lot of similarities (aside from their love of books) that slowly come out as the story progresses. Sometimes, when books are separated into different characters' points of view, I can find myself only wanting to read about one character, and feeling like it was a slog to get through the others, but not in this case. Each character brought something fantastic to the table to read about, and I was eager to know about each of them equally. (Though, if I were pressed, I would say Simone was probably my favourite, though I think I am most like Adele...)

This book is a fantastic foray into the personal lives of four women, and shows us that everyone has their hang-ups, their traumas, and their own saving graces. And the fact that all of this is built around books? Sign me up to read it again.



[I received a review copy of this book from Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!!]

You would like this book if: You enjoy books about book clubs; you enjoy cozy reads that still pack an emotional punch.

Tea to drink while reading this book: I feel that a good English Breakfast tea with some milk would be a perfect accompaniment. Particularly if it's raining outside, too!

Rating:  8/10

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